Quay County, NM Shrink-Swell Risk

Shrink-swell potential in Quay County, NM

Moderate

Soil across 48.9% of Quay County, NM comes back "Moderate" in USDA's shrink-swell data, averaging 3.2% linear extensibility. That's a middle reading: not the sharp swings that crack a foundation outright, but enough that grading and drainage are worth getting right.

What this number does and doesn't tell you

This is a countywide, area-weighted figure across every soil survey map unit in Quay County, NM - never a reading for one specific parcel. A site-specific soil report, usually $1,000-$5,000, is what an engineer would actually pull before designing a foundation on a lot in Quay County.

Quay County: the real numbers

Quay County's soil reading points toward standard foundation practice as the likely outcome, not the exception. A geotechnical report runs $1,000-$5,000, typically around $2,700. Foundation repair, if a specific lot turns out to differ from the county average, runs $5,000-$15,000.

How Quay County, NM compares

Among the 3,085 rated counties on this site, Quay County, NM ranks 1,048 most-constrained nationally, and 11 of 32 within New Mexico. Quay County, NM is 2,874 square miles with a population of 8,403.

For contrast

Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. Piatt County, IL and Eaton County, MI are worth a look for comparison.

How this reading is built, and its real limits · Moisture management: the cheap fix that works on any soil

Elsewhere in New Mexico

Every county in New Mexico is on this site, including Lea County, NM and Los Alamos County, NM. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.